This book reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in eighteenth-century Paris—the demimonde—by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. These damesentretenues exchanged sex, ...
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This book reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in eighteenth-century Paris—the demimonde—by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. These damesentretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being “kept.” Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men. A small but significant percentage of kept women, however, came from a theater subculture that actively supported elite prostitution. The book shows that in its business conventions, its moral codes, and even its sexual practices the demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture. The book's primary sources include thousands of folio pages of dossiers and other documents generated by the Paris police as they tracked the lives and careers of professional mistresses. Rather than reduce the history of sex work to the history of its regulation, the book interprets materials in a way that unlocks these women's own experiences. It analyzes prostitution as a form of work, examines the contracts that governed relationships among patrons, mistresses, and madams, and explores the roles played by money, gifts, and—on occasion—love in making and breaking the bonds between women and men. The book explores elite prostitution not only as a form of labor and as a kind of business but also as a chapter in the history of emotions, marriage, and the family.Less

Erotic Exchanges : The World of Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris

Nina Kushner

Published in print: 2013-12-06

This book reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in eighteenth-century Paris—the demimonde—by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. These damesentretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being “kept.” Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men. A small but significant percentage of kept women, however, came from a theater subculture that actively supported elite prostitution. The book shows that in its business conventions, its moral codes, and even its sexual practices the demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture. The book's primary sources include thousands of folio pages of dossiers and other documents generated by the Paris police as they tracked the lives and careers of professional mistresses. Rather than reduce the history of sex work to the history of its regulation, the book interprets materials in a way that unlocks these women's own experiences. It analyzes prostitution as a form of work, examines the contracts that governed relationships among patrons, mistresses, and madams, and explores the roles played by money, gifts, and—on occasion—love in making and breaking the bonds between women and men. The book explores elite prostitution not only as a form of labor and as a kind of business but also as a chapter in the history of emotions, marriage, and the family.

This chapter discusses the very poor, the ‘criminal’ classes, and the demimonde, with the most emphasis on the first, since the second and third groups have received more historical attention. Most ...
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This chapter discusses the very poor, the ‘criminal’ classes, and the demimonde, with the most emphasis on the first, since the second and third groups have received more historical attention. Most of the poor married legally but a significant minority did not. Marriage conferred a legal obligation for the husband to support his wife, but a cohabitee had no such right. Age, race, ethnicity, family and occupation are the reasons why couples prefer cohabitation. The resemblance of stable cohabitation to marriage comes out most clearly in the violence cases. It is noted that the most of the poor who lived in cohabiting unions lived among and interacted with their married neighbours. Voluntary cohabitees were more often pressured to marry by authorities and their families, since they had no impediments to marriage. Women accepted free unions, but seldom as a first choice.Less

The ‘other Victorians’: the demimonde and the very poor

Ginger S. Frost

Published in print: 2008-11-01

This chapter discusses the very poor, the ‘criminal’ classes, and the demimonde, with the most emphasis on the first, since the second and third groups have received more historical attention. Most of the poor married legally but a significant minority did not. Marriage conferred a legal obligation for the husband to support his wife, but a cohabitee had no such right. Age, race, ethnicity, family and occupation are the reasons why couples prefer cohabitation. The resemblance of stable cohabitation to marriage comes out most clearly in the violence cases. It is noted that the most of the poor who lived in cohabiting unions lived among and interacted with their married neighbours. Voluntary cohabitees were more often pressured to marry by authorities and their families, since they had no impediments to marriage. Women accepted free unions, but seldom as a first choice.

This introductory chapter narrates the story of Demoiselle Varenne, a prostitute in the high-end Parisian brothel of Madam Carlier. Varenne left the brothel as the mistress of an army lieutenant, who ...
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This introductory chapter narrates the story of Demoiselle Varenne, a prostitute in the high-end Parisian brothel of Madam Carlier. Varenne left the brothel as the mistress of an army lieutenant, who paid for her treatment for venereal disease and then established her in a chambre garnie. She soon traded the officer for another patron, the son of a trésorier general, who, in turn, was quickly replaced by the son of an army lieutenant general. Her story demonstrates that working as a professional mistress afforded a degree of agency and a potential for financial success that was unusual for women from humble backgrounds. It also shows that demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture.Less

Introduction

Nina Kushner

Published in print: 2013-12-06

This introductory chapter narrates the story of Demoiselle Varenne, a prostitute in the high-end Parisian brothel of Madam Carlier. Varenne left the brothel as the mistress of an army lieutenant, who paid for her treatment for venereal disease and then established her in a chambre garnie. She soon traded the officer for another patron, the son of a trésorier general, who, in turn, was quickly replaced by the son of an army lieutenant general. Her story demonstrates that working as a professional mistress afforded a degree of agency and a potential for financial success that was unusual for women from humble backgrounds. It also shows that demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture.

This chapter chronicles how kept woman Louise de la Tour (née Devaux) hid from her patron, Captain Dargent. Louise hid in the house of madam Fleurance, complaining of the abusive behavior of both ...
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This chapter chronicles how kept woman Louise de la Tour (née Devaux) hid from her patron, Captain Dargent. Louise hid in the house of madam Fleurance, complaining of the abusive behavior of both Dargent and her own father. Upon discovering his mistress's whereabouts, the captain sought to to retrieve her, bringing with him a note from her father, Père Devaux, which the captain mistakenly interpreted as a transfer of paternal authority. This case shows that not every girl or woman entered the demimonde on their own volition and as a last resort. Many women, like Louise, were forced; sold to individual men or to brothels, or forced to become mistresses.Less

Being Sold into the Demimonde

Nina Kushner

Published in print: 2013-12-06

This chapter chronicles how kept woman Louise de la Tour (née Devaux) hid from her patron, Captain Dargent. Louise hid in the house of madam Fleurance, complaining of the abusive behavior of both Dargent and her own father. Upon discovering his mistress's whereabouts, the captain sought to to retrieve her, bringing with him a note from her father, Père Devaux, which the captain mistakenly interpreted as a transfer of paternal authority. This case shows that not every girl or woman entered the demimonde on their own volition and as a last resort. Many women, like Louise, were forced; sold to individual men or to brothels, or forced to become mistresses.